1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for displaying data content.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a user of an image display apparatus generally selects a content to view from among a multiple of contents. More specifically, for example, various broadcast programs are widely provided by various different types of methods. Therefore, the number of contents that a user can view has increased. Accordingly, a user can select a broadcast program to view from among a large number of broadcast programs.
In addition, as the capacity and performance of a storage medium have increased and improved, known storage media can store a large number of contents. Accordingly, a user can select a content to view from among multiple contents stored on a large-capacity storage medium.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-044194 discusses a method for selecting a content to view from among multiple contents. In the method discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-044194, if a user increases the speed of rotating a jog dial, the speed of a scrolling action through the multiple contents is increased. This display of multiple content items by scrolling through them is hereinbelow referred to as “scroll-display.” Furthermore, in that application, the size of each content item to be scroll-displayed is reduced. In this manner, the method discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-044194 can display a large number of contents at once.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-065368 discusses another conventional content display method. More specifically, the method discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-065368 groups still images according to the photo-shooting date and time and displays a thumbnail of an image representative of the image group based on a user request.
However, in the above-described conventional methods, depending on the content type, a user cannot always effectively select a content to view.
More specifically, if a plurality of contents is grouped according to a user request and if a representative image of a group is to be changed to another one and displayed, then it becomes necessary for the user to give a first instruction for grouping the contents and a second instruction for changing the representative image, the two instructions being separate from each other.
Furthermore, in the above-described conventional method for reducing the size of the content that is scroll-displayed according to the rotation speed of a jog dial to increase the number of contents to be displayed, if the user rotates the jog dial at too high a speed, the user may overlook a content to be viewed because contents displayed in a small size are often scroll-displayed at a high speed.